5 governors’ wives storm C’ River…visit cancer cure centre
Five Governors wives in Nigeria stormed Cross River State and visited Asi Ukpo Diagnostic Medical Centre, the only cancer treatment centre in Nigeria located in Calabar the Cross River State capital. The Governor’s wives came under the aegis of wives of Governors against Cancer in Nigeria.
The governor’s wives who visited the state on Monday were Dr Linda Ayade, wife of the governor of Cross River State, Dr Amina Abubakar Bello, wife of Niger State governor, Mrs Funsho Amosun, Ogun State governor’s wife, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed, Kwara State governor’s wife and Dr Florence Ajimobi, Oyo State First Lady.
The women undertook a tour of the centre to get a firsthand knowledge of the facilitates available there and its preparedness to combat the cancer scourge since it serves as a referral centre where women with cancer cases from states across the country are being sent there for treatment and care.
Former Rivers State Military Administrator and Managing Director of the Asi Ukpo Diagnostic Centre, Brigadier General Anthony Ukpo who conducted the women round said the centre commenced operations in 2013 with state of the art equipment to conduct a wide range medical investigations including MRI, CT scan, digital mammography, 4 D colour doppler, ECG Cardiac stress test and endoscopology analysis.
“In addition, largely automated laboratory equipment are employed to conduct chemical pathology, Histopathology, Immunology, immune-history-chemistry, flow cytometry, Hematology, and medical Microbiology/parasitology investigations to address all cancer and related cases.”
Brigadier Ukpo stated that the World Health Organisation, WHO, reports that Nigeria has the highest cancer rate in Africa with over 250,000 new cases each year and over 10,000 persons dying of cancer annually, a situation which should not be allowed to continue.
“WHO also predicts that by 2030, close to one million people will die of cancer each year in sub-Saharan Africa and for every four people who die of HVI/AIDS, there would be three who die of cancer.”
He said the centre having a cancer treatment centre in Nigeria became imperative because of those alarming statistics. ‘The above scenario contributed to the decision to rapidly expand operations and provide specialist cancer services to meet the needs of the populace.”
Dr Linda Ayade, wife of the Cross River State governor who spoke on behalf of the visiting first ladies said they were impressed with what they saw at the centre particularly with it going beyond diagnosis to treatment and management with a wide range of latest medical technique which is a holistic measure to address the plethora of cancer cases in Nigeria and Africa.
‘We are medical doctors and from what we have seen, we are highly impressed with what the centre is offering particularly going beyond diagnosis to treatment and management with a wide range of current medical equipment which is a novelty and a holistic way of addressing the many cancer cases affecting people in Nigeria and of course the entire continent.”
She said the centre is a source of hope to cancer patients who are currently faced with the challenges of inadequate and poorly equipped treatment centres and the high cost of travelling abroad.
Dr Ayade said the fight against cancer is dear to their hearts and they do appreciate the vision of Brigadier Ukpo in establishing such a centre which is the only privately owned indigenous oncology centre in Nigeria.
Edem Edem, Calabar
